Sealers' Testimonials About the Canadian Seal Hunt

The following is direct testimony from sealers, taken by the Canadian
Department of Fisheries and Oceans staff. It was obtained through Access to
Information laws, and contains graphic descriptions of animal cruelty. To
date, seven charges have been laid as a result of the investigation, but
only one had resulted in a court hearing.

Prior to March most females were killed with the pup inside them. I
seen seven pups threw over the side after the female was pelted. I took
two out myself. Me and another sealer even agreed that this was shocking
and there should be another way to hunt seals. We were in the whelping
on March 10/98 because I observed that eight of tens pans of ice had
young pups with the after birth and other debris from the birth on the
ice. There was once I can remember the young seal watching his parents
being hoist aboard. He watched the boat as we steamed away. The pups
were not killed but left by themselves on the ice.
- Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and
Oceans

I did see some mother seals killed and the pup fall out on deck still
alive. [Name] told me to throw it overboard and I did. It crawled up on
a pan of ice. The mother was full of milk, the milk ran out on deck when
the pup fell out.
- Sealer's statement, taken by Cyril Furlong, Department of Fisheries
and Oceans

I was present when female seals were pelted and did see pups fall out
of the female on deck. I seen this happen twice and know that it
happened eight to ten times during the first trip. I knew this happened
because of conversations with the crew. The two pups that I saw on deck
were alive. The pups were threw over board and on one occasion I did see
one of these pups swimming in the water. I don't know what happened to
the pups.
- Sealer's statement, taken by Cyril Furlong, Department of Fisheries
and Oceans

I seen a female being pelted and the pup came out of her when they
cut her open, the pup was dead. This seal was killed for a while. This
was on the day we got one hundred and seventy. Someone passed the
comment, 'If Green peace were only here to see this.'
- Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and
Oceans

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